Game summary
Boris Gelfand beat Esipenko, Andrey with the black pieces in 29 moves in round 1 of 35th Leon GM 2022 in Leon, Spain, on 9 July 2022. The opening was the Sicilian Defense (B30).
- White
- Esipenko, Andrey
- Black
- Boris Gelfand
- Result
- Black won (0-1)
- Event
- 35th Leon GM 2022
- Place
- Leon, Spain
- Date
- 9 July 2022 (2022.07.09)
- Round
- 1.2
- Opening
- Sicilian Defense (B30)
- Length
- 29 moves (58 plies)
All moves of Esipenko, Andrey vs Gelfand, B (PGN move text)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.O-O Nge7 5.b4 Nxb4 6.c3 a6 7.cxb4 axb5 8.bxc5 b6 9.d4 bxc5 10.dxc5 Nc6 11.Be3 Be7 12.e5 f5 13.Nc3 Ba6 14.Re1 O-O 15.Ne2 Qc7 16.Nf4 Na5 17.h4 Nc4 18.Bd4 Bb7 19.Ng5 Bxg5 20.hxg5 Ra4 21.Qb3 Bc6 22.Re2 Ra3 23.Qd1 Qd8 24.g6 Qh4 25.Qc1 hxg6 26.Bb2 g5 27.Ng6 Qh5 28.Ne7+ Kf7 29.Nxc6 Rh8 0-1
About This Game
In this encounter Esipenko, Andrey had the white pieces against Gelfand, B at 35th Leon GM 2022 in Leon ESP in 2022. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
From Sicilian Defense (B30) the players entered sharp, double-edged play with chances for both sides. These lines often lead to opposite-side castling and a race to attack the enemy king.
Lasting 29 moves, the game was settled in the middlegame. This is the phase where piece activity, pawn breaks and king safety all collide, and replaying it slowly is a good way to train your own middlegame judgement.
Gelfand, B is one of the grandmasters featured in the RamaChess archive, where you can browse their complete game collection, favourite openings and notable wins. Studying many games by a single strong player is one of the fastest ways to understand practical chess decisions.
Games such as this one are useful at every level. Beginners can follow the opening principles, club players can study the middlegame plans, and stronger players can examine the finer endgame and decision-making points.
In the end, Gelfand, B won with the black pieces. Replay the full game move by move above, analyse it with the engine to find the turning points, and use Practice mode to play out the critical positions yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Who played this game?
This game was played between Esipenko, Andrey (White) and Gelfand, B (Black), at 35th Leon GM 2022 in 2022.
What opening was played?
The game used Sicilian Defense (ECO code B30). Sharp, double-edged play with chances for both sides.
What was the result?
Gelfand, B won with the black pieces.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 29 moves (58 plies).
Can I replay this game move by move?
Yes. Use the interactive board on this page to step through every move, or open the analyser for engine evaluation and Practice mode to play the positions yourself.
Where can I find more games like this?
Browse the full Sicilian Defense collection, Gelfand, B's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.